Mathematician:Jean Buridan

Mathematician

French philosopher who focused in particular on logic and the works of Aristotle.

Pupil of William of Ockham.

Sowed the seeds of the Copernican Revolution in Europe.

Developed the concept of impetus, the first step toward the modern concept of inertia, and an important development in the history of medieval science.

Most familiar through the thought experiment known as Buridan's Ass, but this does not actually appear in his extant writings.

Nationality

French

History

• Born: sometime around 1301, although some say as early as 1295, probably of peasant stock, in Béthune, Picardy
• Died: around 1359 to 1362

Theorems and Definitions

• Buridan's Ass
• Buridan's Bridge

Results named for Jean Buridan can be found here.

Sources

• John J. O'Connor and Edmund F. Robertson: "Jean Buridan": MacTutor History of Mathematics archive

• 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Buridan's ass